Traditions at DL

[Stacerita]

Just wondering what everyone's DL traditions are.....is there something you always do? something you must go on? or something you just got to eat?

Mine is that me and the sweetpea always go to the wishing well and make a wish. This is the one thing we do every single time regardless of who else we go with or what we are else we are planning on doing. We always make a stop at the well. "Im wishing"

 

[AFMom]

We always eat at the Rainforest Cafe the night we get there (we don't start the parks till the next day). We have lunch at the Blue Bayou, if Fantasmic is playing, we eat Gumbo from the French Quarter while we sit and wait. We have to get a picture of the kids in front of the Mickey flowers at the entrance - it's great to see how they grow from trip to trip. Lets see - Well - the countdown before we get there. This started when I was a kid - we counted down the last five days on our hands and Mom would call the day we left for Disney 'Pinky Day'. So now - all important dates are refered to as Pinky Day - leaving for Disney wouldn't be the same without it!

 

[iceskatejen]

I have to enter DL from the left-hand tunnel under the train station (so I come in on the City Hall side of Town Square). The right side just feels wrong.

 

[got2travel]

Yes, definitely the left tunnel.

We must ride Peter Pan first, eat at least 1 meal at the French Market (Jambalaya usually) and get a fudge covered marshmallow for me and a Tigger Tail for my son. (These are 4 marshmallows on a stick, dipped in caramel, then dipped in fudge. But for the Tigger Tail, its dipped in orange colored white chocolate, then stripped with milk chocolate).

 

[dletz]

A family friend always rode the train last thing they did before leaving (we did too when I was little) and one day they decided to ride the train in the middle of the day, the son got really upset and no one could figure out why. Finally he said I'm not ready to leave yet. They realized he thought you had to leave after riding the train.

 

[BurleyGirl]

These sound wonderful!! My DS will love these--can't wait to make this a tradition! (Which land do you get these in?)

Also, wondering why the left tunnel is preferred?

I wish I had a tradition to throw in here, but this will only be our family's 2nd trip. But, I'm enjoying reading all of your traditions so we can get ideas for our own!

 

[got2travel]

Not sure why the left, its just what we've always done. The right side is always so congested becase that's where the stroller and wheelchair rentals are. Plus, as a general rule, go left when given a choice. People are creatures of habit, and tend to stay right. The majority of the time, if you choose left, you'll have less crowds and shorter lines.

Tigger Tails are only sold in the candy shop in Critter Country. But there are many versions of the marshmallow sticks (fudge, milk chocolate, dipped in nuts, dipped in graham crackers, etc). The candy shop on main street sells many of the variations, but the shop in Critter Country is usually less crowded and have more choices.

 

[karylrocks]

I hadn't really thought about it but I think I always use the left tunnel also. We always ride Peter Pan and Small World (don't know why I am compelled to ride that one every time).

 

[Amy&Dan]

Enter on the left side for sure! Then head to fantasyland and ride Peter Pan first thing. I always ride with my daughter Maria and we sing the Peter Pan song. I told a friend about this and she shook her head like I was a nut. You either get it or you don't, sue me! Also we have a set menu at Blue Ribbon Bakery. We always go at least once for breakfast: Chocolate/chocolate chip muffin, Mickey cookie, cinnamon twist thing, one coke and one large hot chocolate. Split four ways and sure to give energy for a fast morning of rides, rides and more rides!

 

[Al's Jasmine]

OMG I do the left tunnel and Peter Pan first thing too!! LOL! That is so funny how other families have a tradition like mine and my husband's and it wasn't like we all consulted with each other either.

Peter Pan seems to always put us in that Disney mood in no time. It is a classic Dark ride. I guess even the walk up main street and through the castle is just magical! Even when we were staying at DLH, we would hesitate to use the monorail first thing in the morning because it dropped us off in Tomorrow Land, and it felt "wrong" haha.

Another tradition we do and always do is take some time to sit and eat a mickey head ice cream bar. No matter how cold it is, we must eat it. Also, before we leave the park on our final night, we sit at the head of mainstreet towards the RR staition, and absorb the sights and sounds.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hey Al's Jasmine, I think we have the same Disneyland ideas! Our last night we always sit on Main Street and just take it all in one more time. We do this until they basically kick us out. Then head up DTD towards the DLH, planning our next visit. We also always hesitate to take the Monorail because we miss out on Main Street. And like you, we were eating Mickey Bars during the Christmas Parade and freezing in the process. Take a bite of Mickey Bar then take a big sip of hot chocolate!

 

[karylrocks]

I also will not take the monorail on our first day so as not to miss walking through the front gate. It would just be so wrong to start out in Tomorrowland! I used to love the feeling of walking from the parking lot heading to the front gates, just feeling the excitement mount as we got closer, stopping along the way to take pictures. They were building CA last time we were there and all the construction ruined that experience for me. This year we are planning to stay at the DLH (finally!) and I am looking forward to a new experience of walking through DTD to the front entrance.

 

[CalGal]

I'm with you karylrocks. You have to go through the main entrance the first day! Pass by the folks posing for pictures, look up to the mainstreet train depot, stroll by the Emporium and walk down mainsteet to start the trip. If we start out midday, we need to stop at the information board and check out the wait times on the rides. We used to have a tradition of buying an autograph book first thing. But, alas, my DS has outgrown that. Thankfully, he hasn't outgrown our other tradition: GOOFY's KITCHEN once ever visit, without fail!

 

[Al's Jasmine]

Hot chocolate right after a bite of Mickey's ice cream head? I MUST try that! and YES we too were there for Christmas time freezing our butts off eating ice cream (mickey head in the day, Grand Gibson as our evening snack). During the same Christmas trip, we bought an ice cream and it was so frozen it practically cracked my tooth. Yeah..thats dedication right there! I LOVE ice cream!!!

CalGal, we are so trying to make Goofy's Kitchen a time honored tradition as well. And we have no kids, but who cares!!! LOL

Monorail on the first day is a no for us too. YOu can imagine the looks of peoples faces when the mass of us from DLH start walking towards DTD and we are the few that continue PASS the monorail entrance to walk to the front gates. I love the walk in the morning.

Keep up the tradition DISers!!

 

[karylrocks]

I think this is the first time DS will not want an autograph book, but he still might just for tradition. He will be 13 next month, and one of the first things he asked when I said we might be going to DL was "we are going to Goofy's Kitchen, right?!"

And yes, of course the Mickey bars. DS likes to try each of the character ice cream treats.

 

[got2travel]

Enter on the left side for sure! Then head to fantasyland and ride Peter Pan first thing. I always ride with my daughter Maria and we sing the Peter Pan song. I told a friend about this and she shook her head like I was a nut. You either get it or you don't, sue me!

Too funny, my son and I always cheer on Peter when he's fighting with Hook, then cheer even louder when we turn the corner and Peter's sailing the ship. I was there by myself last month and still did this, although not as loudly.

 

[Redcon1]

Our traditions(which I've been doing since I was age three many moons ago) include definitely entering through the left side of the tunnels. Then start with Adventureland and go clockwise with Tomorrowland being the last land we visit. There's something about starting in the past and working your way to the future that seems to be the essence of the idea behind Disneyland.
We also end the night by taking the train around the park, which summarizes the whole day in a 20-minute nutshell.
Another tradition thay my wife and I have started and are sharing with our kids is to stop at the bakery and get an ice cream cookie sandwich while we walk to the train station. These are HUGE cookies by themselves and with the ice cream in between, it's just so wonderful and filling for a late-night snack.
And of course, after leaving the train, hitting the Emporium, along with millions of other last-minute shoppers.

 

[karylrocks]

We always find ourselves at the Emporium at the end of the night, too. I plan to try to shop in the afternoon, but we get so busy and also can't decide what we want to buy from all the little shops, then last thing before we leave are hoping we can find what we finally decided on at the Emporium. This time DD already know she wants to get an Indiana Jones whip and maybe an Indy leather hat in Adventureland; she was sorry she didn't get those last time we were there. Which reminds me of another question: can you have your purchases delivered to your hotel (like at WDW) if you are staying on-site (we will be at DLH )?

 

[Al's Jasmine]

Yes, you can have your items taken over to your hotel! When you check in they give you this piece of paper the size of a credit card (unfortunately IT IS a piece of paper and nothing laminated so it is to your advantage to keep it in a dry place as to not crumple, rip, wet, or tear it if indeed you plan to use it) and you can use it to "pay" for you items (which is charged at the end to the credit card you used for your hotel room. Of course you don't have to use this. (i just realized I answered a totally different question HAHAH sorry!! )

But you just tell them upon checkout where you are staying and they send the items so that they are available to you by the NEXT morning. well thats what they told us when we checked in last month. I'm not sure if they ask for a room key or that piece of paper? We would've used it but I (for some strange reason) love the feeling of having my hands full of disney shopping bags!